Since 2017’s The Outlaws, actor Ma Dong-seok (a.k.a. and credited here as Don Lee) has led what would become the Crime City series, an action crime series that borrows from Korean headlines for the foundation of each film. Each film utilizes both Lee’s natural physicality and comedic timing to create a law enforcement figurehead in Detective Ma Seok-do that audiences can root for in the way that his soft touch reveals a tenderness toward humanity and his hard touch can put the bad guys down with an equally big hurt. With now three films released, each one tackling a different aspect of Korean crime (murder, gang-affiliated, multi-national corruption), the fourth outing, The Roundup: Punishment (범죄도시 4), with stuntman-turned-director Heo Myeong-haeng (Badland Hunters) at the helm, looks to tackle digital crime with the very specific humor, thoughtfulness, and tactical violence fans of Detective Ma expect.
Don Lee as Detective Ma Seok-do in THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT. Photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment.
While pursuing a group of drug dealers using an app to sell their product, Detective Ma (Lee) and his Metro Investigations unit discover that the original developer of the source code for the app was murdered in the Philippines while on the job. Vowing to the mother that he will find her son’s killer, Ma will do whatever it takes to bring the killer to justice, including pulling together a special taskforce and roping in an old associate, trying to do battle with digital foes that are harder to punch.
Center: Lee Dong-hwi as Chang Dong-cheol in THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT. Photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment.
Looking through Heo’s filmography, he’s been a part of the stunt teams for other Lee films such as The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008), Train to Busan (2016), Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018), as well as the prior three films in the Crime City series. He’s also worked on films such as Bong Joon-ho’s Mother (2009), Kim Jae-woon’s I Saw the Devil (2010), Yeon Sang-ho’s Psychokinesis (2018), amid many many others before moving to the director’s chair in Badland Hunters, released this year via Netflix in the U.S., also starring Lee. Heo isn’t the first person on the stunt team to shift to directing (look to David Leitch and his ode to the stunt team, The Fall Guy, as a recent example), and his depth of experience shows in Punishment. Each of the four films shifts just slightly based on the energy of the narrative, while working to maintain a similar look and tone. It requires someone who understands this in order to create a cohesive narrative that doesn’t feel like a jumbling of moments that don’t connect tonally. Adding to this, Heo brings an understanding of how to construct and shoot a stunt sequence in order to get the greatest impact, making that familiarity with Lee an absolute bonus. Though there are moments in Badland Hunters where the stuntwork isn’t as clean or easy to follow due to camera position and editing (possibly to overcompensate for actor ability), any potential concern from that experience dissipates by the end of the second sequence of Punishment.
L-R: Kim Min-jae as Kim Man-jae and Don Lee as Detective Ma Seok-do in THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT. Photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment.
In the script by fellow series newcomer Oh Sang-ho (Spiritwalker; Taxi Driver), we get the typical villain introduction ahead of Detective Ma’s and, like always, these sequences set the tone for what’s to come. Because this is a Crime City film, we know by now that the villain’s got to be a special kind of bastard, the difference between them being how they respond or react to the violence they inflict and how. Taking that role is The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil’s Kim Moo-yul (another Lee picture, FYI) portraying Baek Chang-gl, a man with a particular set of skills who’s not easily prone to emotion and likes an up-close kill with a blade. The entrance into the film is quick, to the point, and over with nary a word, gifting to audiences someone whose quiet demeanor masks a cruel precision. Designed by Oh, staged by Heo, and executed by Kim, this intro gives the audience all they need to know about Ma’s opponent and the possible uphill battle that awaits. Then there’s Ma’s introduction, which falls more in line with The Roundup (2022) in terms of Ma taking on a specific action versus accidentally coming across a crime (No Way Out) with him and his Metro Investigations Unit working to track down some drug dealers. Here, there’s the usual mix of physical comedy and action, but what makes the sequence standout is the use of space and circumstance. The first is small, making Ma seem even larger and affording his opponents less area to move within. The second is the creation of an obstacle that allows for a demonstration of strength so that anyone who’s not seen the first three films (or any, really) gets a quick sense of what Ma’s capable of and why so many crooks are hesitant to cross the typically genial police officer. Thankfully, while this narrative setup (villain first, then Ma in a situation) is formulaic by now, it’s incredibly welcoming and executed in a way that remains fresh despite knowing the relative outcome of each sequence.
Kim Mu-Yeol as Baek Chang-gi in THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT. Photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment.
For his part, Lee remains as fantastic as ever. He brings a charm and affability to Ma that helps make what could be a cruel or powerful man into the kind of police officer that audiences rally behind. Without Lee’s charm, his charisma, and certainly the actor’s willingness to not always be the strongest/smartest in a situation, Ma would quickly turn one-note, especially four films deep with several more expected (eight or nine was the last speculated number with No Way Out director Lee Sang-yong already slated for unsubtitled The Roundup 5). Between Lee’s readiness and Oh’s script, we also get a different version of Ma, one who takes the mission just a little more personally, as it’s not just fellow officers who get injured in the line, making for a compelling tête-à-tête between Ma and Baek. Credit to Oh for also creating a bit of backstory for a familiar Crime City location and understanding how to remind audiences of what it’s like to get on the bad side of Ma’s powerful fists.
L-R: Park Ji-hwan as Jang I-soo and Don Lee as Detective Ma Seok-do in THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT. Photo courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment.
Four films deep and not only are the situations still compelling and the actors brought in to go toe-to-toe with Lee equal to the task (Kim brings an uneasy coolness with a viciousness we haven’t seen since Son Sukku’s Kang Hae-sang), but the films balance what should be an uneasiness with Ma’s casual violence and threats and turns them into comedic fodder. This is, again, mostly because of Lee’s ability to see the genuine kindness within Ma, so that when the “Room of Truth” is mentioned, a motorbike helmet is brought out, or a shakedown occurs in order to fund an upcoming operation, we, the audience, don’t cry foul because he’s the kind of cop we’d want helping us in a pinch. Think of it as watching the U.S.-based MCU films with an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. running around in the real world — would we be so comfortable with such a group if we didn’t know that the people at the top are altruistic at heart? Sure, Punishment is fantasy in a way, with us believing in the goodness of law enforcement (have you seen the news on college campuses lately?), but that’s part of the fun. We get to watch someone whose most gentle form of attack is an open palm slap take on kidnappers, thieves, and murderers, individuals who prey on others, with a closed fist whose impact makes the most satisfying squelching sound. Oh yes, the sounds of a truly despicable person (not you, Gru) getting pounded can really brighten your day.
In select theaters May 3rd, 2024.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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